à la votre
by Unnamed.in.whispers
Summary: Jean Luc Picard has learned a lesson – appearances aren't all they seem. After nearly loosing Kate Pullaski to the virus that killed the USS Lantree, the Captain decides it's time to face his feelings for the challenging doctor.


Title: à la votre Series: Star Trek TNG

Type: Fanfiction Pairing: Picard/Pulaski

Rating: 12

Summary: Jean Luc Picard has learned a lesson – appearances aren't all they seem. After nearly loosing Kate Pullaski to the virus that killed the USS Lantree, Jean-Luc thinks it's time he took charge of his feelings for the confrontational doctor.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Star Trek characters or anything from the universe of Star Trek. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to Gene Roddenberry for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.

()()()()

The woman was insufferable.

From the moment he had met her there had been a distinct difference between Kate Pulaski and Beverley Crusher. The latter had been passionate about her work, but she had also been gentle and succumbing.

Beverley had chosen to leave the Enterprise for personal reasons, she had told him. Starfleet Medical was a golden opportunity for career progression and he couldn't blame her for seeing a chance and seizing it with both hands… even if it left him pining after the sound of her voice or pleasure of her company.

He hadn't concentrated too hard on who replaced her as CMO onboard his ship. Kate Pulaski was highly regarded, she was published and professional. She had the experience in abundance. So she seemed to fit. But from their meeting on Ten Forward to this point he had found her confrontational.

She openly and directly challenged him; before other crew members or even when they spoke in private. It felt as though they constantly butted heads over even the smallest of subjects. She seemed to be the ink in his ointment; the fly in his soup; the bloody thorn is his side!

But right now she felt so good in his arms.

Wrapped about her, as he was, Jean-Luc felt elated. She was safe and she was with him.

Kate shivered slightly, making him tighten his hold on her. After her ordeal on the Darwin Station, she was breathless but rejuvenated; he wanted to be sure she was steady enough to stand after her reconstitution on the transporter platform.

They broke apart from each other, aware of the audience of officers waiting to congratulate the doctor on her return to perfect health… and while the others anxiously laid hands on the doctor to reassure themselves, Jean-Luc watched.

The day was saved. She was saved.

Jean-Luc found himself grateful of this second chance to show appreciation for the confrontational woman and eagerly led her out of the transporter room, hoping to shepherd her into a kitchen where they would be granted some privacy.

But she was asking about the procedure he had just carried out and how dangerous a gamble he had taken with her life.

Jean-Luc squirmed; it was true. He had risked her life to save it. It was a choice he would make again. It was desperate and daring… and it had worked.

And Kate was telling him she understood… he thought she meant she was glad that he had been there to make the call for her. He hoped it meant she trusted him above all others.

Pride bloomed in him as they stood in the Enterprise corridor and looked to one another.

_Ask her for a drink, _he thought. _Ask her to dinner?__It could be casual…_

But Kate Pulaski tore her sea-blue eyes from his and strode off down the corridor without a backward glance.

She was magnificent… even he had to admit it.

()

The sounder at his door chimed and Jean-Luc checked the chronometer… one of his officers had clearly forgotten he had taken the evening off…

Straightening in his chair, Jen-Luc ordered, "Come."

Kate Pulaski stepped through the door, hesitating until her eyes found him in the room, "A little dark for reading isn't it?"

Jean-Luc felt his skin prickle, "I find it adequate."

Kate nodded, casting an eye about the room.

He tried to keep the excitement from his voice, "May I ask what you're doing here?"

Startling as though she had forgotten her purpose, the doctor waved a bottle at him, "French, Red… I believe you are a connoisseur…"

Without meaning to, he felt himself stand and approach the drink in her hand as she smiled at his enthusiasm…

"Connoisseur may be a stretch… but it's in the blood…"

"So I'm told," she grinned.

Plucking the bottle from her hand, he moved to collect two glasses, "A rival vineyard… but a good year… a tad less smooth than how we press our vine and… " he found himself babbling, "And what's the occasion?"

As she accepted the glass with an inexplicable grin… "Life."

Jean-Luc felt himself shrug, pouring a taster of the drink..."Ah! Then, à la votre."

The glasses clinked and both officers drank.

Jean-Luc found himself nodding in appreciation before he met Kates curious, sparkling ocean eyes... she was waiting for his opinion... "Rich and well cultured..."

"How I prefer my wines," Kate admitted, a blush tinting her cheeks, "and my men, Captain..."

Jean-Luc snorted, "Are you are teasing me, Doctor?"

"Just keeping you on your toes, Officer," she smiled behind another sip.

"You certainly do that," he admitted, motioning for them to sit. "In fact, I don't think I have told you how much your passion, belief and down-right stubbornness has been appreciated by this particularly fervent, strong-willed and intractable commanding officer."

She blinked. Had he gone too far?

Taking a breath, she glanced away to respond, "Well... seeing as we are passing dangerously close to complimenting one-another, sir..."

"Jean-Luc," he corrected, "We are off duty, Doctor."

"Kate," she reciprocated, quickly, tilting her glass, "While we are being informal."

Breath filled his lungs and he felt his head shaking, "Always have to have the last word..."

Kate laughed, "I'm in good company."

It was true.

They settled on the sofa, arms length from one another, grinning like teenagers on a park-bench.

"Tell me," he began, "why the Enterprise?"

Kate shrugged, "Spent too long writing papers and performing studies," she lied, "I needed to get back to my roots and practice again. Where better than the flag-ship?"

Jean-Luc nodded, knowing the story was heavily edited. He moved closer, propping his elbow on the back of the bench and resting his head on his hand. "I heard," he said, noticing her shift to cross her legs and bring herself slightly closer, "that there was a particular commanding officer you had a keen interest to serve with."

"Well," Kate blew out a breath, a delightful blush pinking her cheek, "you have done some homework, haven't you, Jean-Luc?"

Something about the way she rolled his name about her mouth made him move, again, a little bit nearer...

"It's true..." Kate continued, "There was a commander I found fascinating aboard the Enterprise..."

He swelled.

"But now isn't the time to talk about me and Will Riker..."

The swell in his chest deflated and Picard felt himself grow uncertain... "What?"

She laughed into her glass, watching the shock filter over his face and merge into realisation, "Very amusing."

"Did I bring the tone down," she asked, moving toward him in comfort, "I'm sorry... but it won't do to super-inflate your ego..."

He shook his head, "I can't imagine you would ever, purposefully do that."

Her hand found his, "No... I wouldn't."

Jean-Luc felt his skin buzz at the contact… what could this woman do to him?

He steeled himself, "How then should we proceed?"

Her laugh echoed off the bulkhead, as light as any tune he could imagine…

"Jean-Luc," she intoned, her eyes taking on a darker hue, "You and I are getting far too old for the chase…" And from that moment to the next her lips were on his.

Jean-Luc couldn't help a moment to consider that, no matter the age, one still became excited at the prospect that another being found them attractive.

He took a moment to sip his wine… there was a certainty in her sentence… a certainty that they were both in the room through a mutual interest.

So the Captain took a calculated risk and leant forward to test the good doctor and pressed his lips to hers.

She didn't move.

And when he pulled away, Kate nodded, "I see… well then." And she finished her drink, set the glass on the coffee table at her side, took a handful of his uniform and dragged his body onto hers…

And life became more interesting and more complicated with each touch and each embrace…

They knew it wasn't forever… nothing ever was… but perhaps they didn't need it to be.


End file.
